


Rent

by Discordia_s_Novelist



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Awkward Bill Cipher, Awkward Flirting, Bill needs a hug, Bill's Father A+ Parenting, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Human!Bill, Landlord!Bill, Original side characters, Past Child Abuse, Present Day AU, Weirdmageddon is a festival not the end of the world, artist!Mabel, badass!Mabel, because I have no stability in my life, i'm updating it i promise, irregular updates, it's subplot, let mabel say fuck, mabel likes being a goddamn ray of sunshine, neither does bill, smell the dipcifica subplot?, swaeringTM
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-01 22:43:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16293230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Discordia_s_Novelist/pseuds/Discordia_s_Novelist
Summary: Mabel Pines has had enough of her life in California. She loves her brother but she doesn't want to stay in his shadow. After getting her art degree, Mabel escapes to Gravity Falls to do what she always wanted - open an Art Studio! And what better place to do it than in the abandoned Mystery Shack left empty after her great uncles left to travel around the world. As excited as she is to go back to the place she has spent many summers as a kid in, Mabel finds out she has nowhere to stay so what better thing to do than rent a small resort - that unfortunately doesn't come with the landlord.Bill Cipher hates everything about his home in Washington. His parents seem to take every occasion they can to look down on him, so when the opportunity to get away - even if it's on a business trip to Gravity Falls - appears, he accepts it without a second thought. But as it turns out, being the representative of a big company and striking a deal with a striking young woman is harder than he thinks. Bill has never encountered anyone who didn't like him for his money and name, so meeting someone who doesn't know him is the exact blessing he needed.





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo... this is my first ever fan fic. thanks for checking it out! I am very new to the creation side of the archives and it's a pleasure to be here. You can find me on tumblr @Discordia-S-Novelist for updates and sneak peaks and ship posts. 
> 
> This take on the well known characters (I DO NOT OWN THEM) is mine and completely mine. Most works I see take bill as an asshole (and he is, as portrayed in the show) but I wanted to give him a different face and change his character almost completely, without getting rid of the Bill Cipher trademarks - triangles, yellow, the one eye, deals, yada yada.
> 
> On a different note, the story is also different and this AU has no supernatural, all the creatures in the show being simple legends, but important key stuff - such as Bill's nicknames and the journals, which here are just fictional novels written by Ford.  
> so please, enjoy!

Laughing.

She didn’t remember when was the last time she had laughed like that.

The rays of sunshine shone over Gravity Falls and over the Mystery Shack and its lively inhabitants, running all around, smiling and cheerfully chatting away. And all you could hear were the many voices of guests, the chirping of birds and the ringing of Mabel Pine’s laughter.

It was her and her brother’s thirteenth birthday and she and her family were in Oregon to celebrate it with her great uncles and the other friends they had made during the summer.

What began as a misfortune for the twins – being sent to the lousy shack of the constantly bickering uncles and to a forgotten town turned out as the best summer of their lives. Meeting her best friends, Dipper obsessing over a girl… but thoroughly ignoring her in the past few weeks, Mabel realized.

Also getting a pig!

And said best friends were there, helping her put decorations up and being the very reason Mabel couldn’t stop giggling.

“Help me!”

Grenda’s voice only increased Candy and Mabel’s laughter, as she dangled from a tree branch, having tied her ankle with a pink ribbon, not realizing it was one of the few that were supposed to be keeping the lights up. The Korean girl was jumping and wiggling her hands in the air to try and get a hold of her, despite her rather short figure, while Mabel was covering her mouth to try and hold back laughter.

She heard Ford screaming something in utter surprise before rushing in to help Grenda.

As Mabel watched her great uncle untangle her friend from the tree, she let her mind wander. Soos and Melody weren’t here yet but she was excited to see them, especially after the announcement of their engagement. Her parents weren’t there yet either, but they promised the twins they would come and Mabel was faithful they would.

Everything was perfect, came the brunette to realize. Waddels nudging her side, Candy and Grenda’s company, Wendy and her friends coming to their party and even Pacifica Northwest’s attendance – it was all too good to be real.

But it was. And it was all perfect.

Dipper came running beside her, breaking her train of thought, with a deep blush on his cheeks, almost matching her own from the sun and constant chuckles that escaped her lips.

“What is up, Bro-bro?” she beamed up at him, nudging his ribs. “Did Wendy smile at you?”

He shook his head and dismissed her, as he began stumbling over his words in an incoherent jumble of explanations about the Pacific and today’s date – or that’s what Mabel managed to make out – but she wasn’t really paying attention, catching Pacifica with the corner of her eye, looking flushed and smiling a bit too much.  
Before she could say anything on this – and what a shame that was, because in the brunette’s mind everything clicked together rather quickly – someone called at them from the driveway.

“We’re going to town for a final supply run. Kids, are you coming?”

She turned around with a bright smile, gripping Dipper’s wrist and pulling him. “Sure, Grunkle Stan!”

Yes. It was perfect.

________________________________________

“For the thousandth time, William, pay attention! Some day this will be your job!”

His father’s voice rang in the car as Bill Cipher turned his attention to the man in the seat in across from him, suddenly wishing to have chosen the one out of his line of vision.  
He would have much preferred to watch his mother drive than his father’s constant frown.

Bill hated Gravity Falls. Everything about the town only reminded him of harsh palms across his face, his father’s yelling, his mother’s cold glares and the looming threat that was his inheritance – the family business, Mindscape Inc., a real estate agency that operated all over the country and was known for the great deals it provided.

The blonde thirteen year old straightened himself and looked up at the man he despised more than the town they were driving to. “Sorry, father. I’m listening.”

The older man gave him a disappointed stare down before turning around and continuing to explain things.

Car rides had never been the happiest of times with his family – Hell it was never a happy time with his family. His mother and father weren’t neglecting him, although he sometimes wished they would, but they felt like strangers to Bill.

And a surprise family trip to Gravity Falls to initiate a project – the building of a bunch of cabins – definitely wasn’t the late birthday gift he was expecting.

He looked out the window once his father turned to talk to his mother, who seemed to never be looking ahead when driving but never actually encountering any problems. They didn’t hate him. They provided him the luxury you would expect a rich kid from DC to get. But love seemed such a strange concept to them – Bill found he couldn’t remember the last time they had displayed any.

It was truly a mystery how they had come to get married, although many said it had been arranged, but it was a bigger enigma how they had even agreed to have kids. But they had and he was the unfortunate child who ended up in the Cipher family. He despised that he had his father's blonde hair and his mother's blind left eye. It had gotten worse as he grew up. The weird yellowish eyes, out of which one would turn completely blind as he aged, just like his mother’s.

The blonde hated this.  
It was terrible.

It was _anything_ but perfect.

As they passed the rusty sign that read “Welcome to Gravity Falls”, Bill already felt overwhelmed with his hatred for this place. It didn’t quite make sense – the town was anything but horrible, but years of his father staining this beauty made its way into the boy’s mind.

So here he was, stuck in a car with his least favourite people, driving around the streets, heading to the Northwest mansion where his parents would discuss the project and probably strike another one of those terrible deals. He let out a shaky sigh and rested his temple against the window when his good eye caught a group on the street.  
It was everything he didn’t have – two kids, maybe his age, with what appeared to be their grandparents, were laughing and talking as they made their way across the street with bags in their hands. The girl and what looked to be her brother were wearing matching sweaters with ‘Happy B-day!’ messily embroidered into them.

Bill found himself not being able to recall the last time he had celebrated his birthday. A smile ghosted on his lips as they drove past the group. He slumped back into his chair.

That. _That_ was perfect.


	2. Coffee Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Bill's inevitable return to the Falls turns out to be a long drive where he finds himself constantly stuck, Mabel ponders on her forgotten childhood friendships while she waits for the Mindscape Inc. rep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... I updated it, huh? 
> 
> I think I did it pretty quickly, if you consider the jam packed week I've had (who though you could be so behind on some many school assignments in less than a month?) but kind of slow when you see how short this chapter it. I really did want to make it longer, but I'm leaving for the weekend and the next days after that'll be even worse. 
> 
> But I tried to fill this chapter with as much information about this universe as I could, so the action kind of lacks - don't worry shit will actually happen in the next one. Also, I wanted to apologize for grammar/spelling mistakes, as the tags say, this has not been beta read and I don't really english like a normal human being. Therefore, please enjoy this not too longer than the other one but still pretty short chapter!

“You have _got_ to be kidding me!”

He slammed his head onto the steering wheel with a long groan, while pressing his foot lazily on the break. The sound the car made as it came to a stop seemed to be mocking him. No, it was wonderful. He had left early exactly for this reason – to avoid any traffic jams.

Seems Oregon didn’t care.

“Just my fucking luck…”

Bill Cipher raised his tired gaze and rested his chin on the leather surface of the wheel, scanning the cars around him. It was ridiculous. The clock wasn’t even at eleven am yet and the highway looked like a tourist jammed Turkish market. He could hear horns off in the distance and random swear words thrown from a driver to another.

The sun was already starting to get hot and the loud noises around him were getting on his nerves. But he had to keep himself collected. This was his first business deal alone.

In no other place than Gravity Falls.

Fate indeed had a wicked sense of humor.

His father hadn’t told Bill much other than calling him from DC – while he was visiting his cousin and grandfather in Denver – to tell him to hurry and meet a client in Oregon. But the old man never told his son stuff anyway. All he did know was that she was female – so Bill had braced himself for an annoying old lady that would moan about not having a dishwasher. 

But, as he had been taught his entire life, the blonde decided to make the most of it. He needed a break from it all – his family, Washington, the business and most importantly, himself. And the quiet god forsaken town was the best place where he could take a breath, even if for him it was the most terrible place on Earth. But that did give him something to think while moving at two kilometers per hour.

Who in the world would want to rent a cabin in Gravity Falls?

He didn’t know many people who lived there by choice. Of course, it was the old with nowhere to go. Even the Northwest family, people his parents used to do business quite often with, had moved out. From what he’d heard, their daughter, Pacifica Northwest had inherited the land and destroyed the mansion, selling the now empty land to the farmers. He didn’t know any further information about where she had gone.

He assumed the Gleeful family did choose to live there. With their business, the Telepathy Tent Magic Store, they had thrown the anchor. Their son, whom Bill had never met, nor knew the name of, had tried to move out but was kept in place by his parents to keep up the family name – the blonde could at least relate to that.

Deep in thought, his mind almost working automatically, he almost missed the exit from the highway. The clock now showed half past twelve. A curse bubbled in his throat – the meeting was supposed to take place ten minutes from now. He was still one hour away from Gravity Falls and that if he managed to avoid anyone on the road and drive over the speed limit. Bill felt a smile on his lips.

That was a tip he had learnt from his cousin, Will, who seemed to be the only person in his family that had any form of emotions. He remembered the summer they had spent together, when Will had taught him to drive and given him some ‘time saving tips’. Of course, Bill’s aunt and father weren’t too happy when the boys returned with a slightly wrecked car.

As he rolled down the remote road and started to see the familiar forest and mountains off in the distance, the blonde found himself getting lost in memories. Most of them were not joyful at all, and those who were, almost never took place with his mother and father, home or in DC. As far as he could remember the only person to love him growing up were grandpa Teeth and Will, who were inseparable. All his friends, who were few anyway, always befriended him for his name and money.

He hated that almost as much as Gravity Falls.

At first he had been naïve. Thank god he wasn’t a foolish child anymore.

Gripping the steering wheel tighter, the forest brought up the only outing he’d had with his parents. He and his parents had decided to go on a bit of a sightseeing trip he had later found out had been just an excuse to take pictures for an article about the resorts in the town. They had left early and Bill had been excited. Way too excited. But on that day, the blonde to this day didn’t know what he’d done wrong. Only the anger with which his father had slapped him across his face. He’d spent night after night thinking about every little detail about that day, never being able to figure out what had caused his father’s sudden outburst.

That memory alone was the main cause of his hatred for Gravity Falls. One second he had been happily running around, playing explorer with his father’s outing journal, and the next he was almost being dragged by his mother trough the leaves.

The thought of his mother made him bring a hand to his left eye involuntarily. Bill had somehow managed to inherit the worst thing possible from her – her eye condition. It wasn’t a disease – that was always what everyone said. It was unexplained, but the same thing that had happened to her had happened to him. As a child, his eye was perfectly normal. But, just like her, as he grew up, he started seeing less and less with it; the images grew blurry until all he saw with said eye was just a mush of grayish colours. He wasn’t blind, but at the same time he was. His mother used to cover his eye up, to hide it away, with fancy hairstyles. It used to be her biggest shame. But as he grew in a rebellious teenager, the blonde completely refused to wear the triangular eye patch.

Maybe the triangle had been an odd choice. Bill’s eyebrows knit as he thought more and more about it. When his parents had started the company, his father used the triangle with an eye in it as the emblem of the business, in some sort of love declaration for his wife, as the papers said it. The blonde highly doubted. It was not love, it had never been, but he had done it anyway and Bill had always longed to know why. It did make a good logo but it had some sort of message. And he couldn’t brush it off that easily.

But that was a matter for a different time. As it had turned out over the years, being half blind wasn’t that much of an issue.

Breaking his train out thought, Bill heard honks in the distance. Turning off the music he hadn’t even been paying attention to, the blonde stopped the car and, turning his good eye to the windshield, he had to do his best to abstain from throwing open the door to his car and run into the woods and hopefully die.  
The road was blocked off by a fallen tree and a young woman in a green shirt and jeans, with long red hair was directing a brigade of men to move the trunk.

Once again, Bill’s forehead fell to the steering wheel. 

Wonderful. It wasn’t as if he was already terribly late, his stomach was about to start digesting itself and he was tired from the long drive. No, there _had_ to be a _damn tree in his way_.

His attention was caught by someone knocking on his window and he well took his time into turning around opening it. There was no point in hurrying now. The lady had probably left at this point, the deal would be off, his father would be enraged and he’d once again be a shame for the Cipher name.

“I’m sorry sir, this tree had fallen onto the road-“

“I can see that.”

“-and we’re doing our best to move it,” finished the red headed girl, completely ignoring his harsh comment. “If you’re in a hurry to town, I can give you a ride,” she added smiling.

Bill’s eyebrow shot up and he rested his elbow on the door. “Can you now?”

She waved him off. “For free. I can even take you back to your car after.”

Hope filled his defeated mind and he nodded hesitantly, moving the car where she told him, before getting out, taking his suitcase and joining her to her truck. She introduced herself as Wendy as she started the car up and her positive attitude made Bill smile a little. It finally looked as if the tide was turning in his favour.

The car ride went by slower than he had hoped, with her chatter filling the air and him constantly rubbing the bridge of his nose, praying for her to stop talking. Wendy asked him a bunch of stuff but didn’t even give him time to answer as she filled his mind with an incredible amount of unnecessary information about woodpeckers, the town and a guy named Tad Strange who was apparently the mayor and had recently gotten married.

Her driving wasn’t any better as it seemed she had no notion of breaks.

As the car finally reached the dinner parking lot, Bill straight up wanted to rip his own ears off. He quickly assured her that he wouldn’t be needing a ride back. She shrugged and left.

Embracing the silence and the powerful smell of wood and forest that filled Gravity Falls, he realized that the town hadn’t changed almost at all from the last time he had been here – and that had been when he was only fifteen. Now, a decade later, everything was the same and the town gave him a strange sense of familiar.

Greasy’s Diner gave off the well know scent of pancakes and coffee and to his utter surprise, his stomach protested, reminding him of the killer hunger he had brushed off. It was almost half past one pm and he hadn’t eaten anything all day. Maybe, if he was in luck, the same people were running the diner. As a kid he loved sneaking off and eating here since the food was just heaven for his taste buds. It was plausible. He took a deep breath and readied himself to find no one or a very angry middle aged woman.

Praying it wasn’t the latter, he tightened his hold onto the suitcase and started walking.

The door opened with a familiar cling and when she spotted her – literally the only one in the diner – exactly where she said she would be, looking absentmindedly out the window, Bill had no idea if it was his luckiest day or if God himself had turned against him.

________________________________________

 

Checking her watch, she sighted. Almost one pm and he was nowhere in sight.

If she was to be honest, Mabel Pines wasn’t exactly sure who she was waiting for. In the emails and on the phone, she had been told she would be met by a rep of Mindscape Inc. and had been given the time and place of the meeting. She had been told to look for someone in a black and yellow suit and she had told them to look for a brunette in the back. So here she was, at the best and only diner in Gravity Falls, drinking her third coffee and tapping her fingers on the table.

Since the moment she had parked her car and got our, the smell of the forest and nature of the town made her smile. She hadn’t realized how much she had missed this place. Just out of nostalgia she had decided to wear one of her sweaters, but since her weather predictions had always been terrible, the warm day of summer had driven her to take it off. And it was a shame. The pink shooting star had always been her favourite. Without having the heart to completely abandon it, she had tied it around her waist and was now playing with the sleeves while looking out the window.

Having always lived with someone else, leaving California by herself was a bold move. But she just felt like it was becoming more than she could handle and her dreams – her very own career – was being left dangerously behind. When Pacifica had moved in with Dipper, Mabel had been overly happy, even more when they announced they were engaged. Her parents hadn’t pressured her to do anything. They had given time to do what she wanted, but she was almost twenty six and still living with her folk.

No one ever voiced it, but it was lingering above Mabel’s head. So, what better place to go to than her beloved Gravity Falls. Since Ford and Stan had left to travel around the world, the Mystery Shack was empty. So in a late night brainstorming while working on her latest painting, the brunette had sent a few emails and there she was – the rightful owner of the art studio that the shack was to become.

The girl was more excited than she let on – Hell she was having to restrain herself from jumping up and down. The Mystery Shack! Hers! Sure, the Falls was not a big, overpopulated city, but they were always attracting tourists and in the past few years, since Pacifica had sold her family’s terrain, more and more people were coming out here to build houses. The atmosphere of the town was different, although she had been happy to find the downtown exactly as she left it.

But being back also brought memories of Waddles. The corners of her mouth went down a little. How long had it been? Four years? FIve? She perfectly remembered Grunkle Stan calling her, with that softened, sad voice, to let her know. Almost a week later, because of Dippers finals, the twins were back in Gravity Falls to add another tomb stone to the cemetery. Wendy and Grenda had been there to comfort her all day.

The thought of Grenda though brought another smile to her face. She was so excited to see her again. Although Candy’s absence would be noticed, she decided they wouldn’t let that get in the way. Their friend wouldn’t want them to be sad.

Speaking of Candy, she forced her mind to remember more details about her leaving. She felt a little guilty finding she couldn’t exactly recall, but from what she did, Mabel knew Candy had moved to Seoul with her girlfriend. They hadn’t been in contact in the last years and she truly felt bad for that, considering it her fault. The brunette decided, since she was renewing her ties with her childhood, to see if Grenda had her number. Maybe Wendy did.

Wendy was another story. The two girls kept in touch almost daily. Since the red headed made frequent trips to LA, she often came to visit and spend time together. Wendy had been the one who had supported her most and encouraged her to pursue her dream. Mabel had graduated from the Arts and Crafts University, almost a year after Dipper, and immediately looked into starting a studio. Unfortunately, nowhere was good enough. It didn’t have that light the brunette was looking for.

Until her uncles announced they were leaving the shack.

“Can I get you anything else, dear?”

She startled but turned around and smiled at the old familiar woman. She had missed her and the other townsfolk more than she had realized. “No, Susan, thanks.”

Lazy Susan nodded and gave her a wry smile. “Are you waiting for someone?”

“As a matter of fact I am,” said Mabel and turned to her just as she sat down across from her.

Her mind drifted off again when she saw a question mark weather vane, immediately being reminded by that at the Mystery Shack and… and Soos! She hadn’t seen him or Melody since the baptizing of their son, Christopher. As far as she knew, after they had gotten married, the happy couple had moved together in the Falls, after the sad passing away of Soos’ grandma. An idea peaked in her mind and she turned to Susan so fast she almost knocked over her coffee.

“Do you happen to know if Soos still lives here?”

Susan seemed caught off guard by this and took some time staring at Mabel with her open eye, seemingly trying to remember who the hell Soos was. After a jumbled description of the ‘tall guy with the question mark t-shirt’, the woman smiled brightly and nodded, disappearing in the back to note his new address.

And so Mabel fell back in her thoughts, staring out the window, not noticing Wendy’s truck stopping there. As she quickly made a mental list of people she needed to see, the ringing of the diner’s bell made her jump out of her skin. Greasy’s Diner wasn’t exactly a place visited by many and so new customers were rare, and when she looked at the man who entered, he defiantly wasn’t a resident of Gravity Falls.

Even though she had never seen him, she instantly knew who he was. To a certain extent. The yellow suit made it rather obvious.

He approached her after visibly swallowing a knot in his throat and a forced ‘business’ smile on his rather handsome face. No, bad Mabel. She didn’t notice his hand extended to her and when she did reach out to shake it, he retracted it.

 _Fucking great Mabel, make a fool of yourself_ , her mind yelled and she gave him an awkward smile. _Keep going down this path and he won’t even want to make a deal._

“So,” his voice caught her attention. “You must be Mabel Pines?”

“Last time I checked,” she said with a pained laugh. “But I didn’t happen to catch your name?”

He widened his eyes a bit, before smiling and waving his hand dismissingly. “Oh, I suppose no one introduced me then. William Cipher.”

Mabel’s mouth curved upwards. “A pleasure to meet you Mr Cipher.”

Nodding, he began pulling papers from his suit case while ordering a coffee from Susan. He didn’t seem to know the lady, which made sense since he didn’t seem like one to come to a God forgotten town, with less than twenty five buildings in it.

By the time he had given her all the paperwork and explained everything, Mabel was pretty sure his hands were constantly shaking and his voice seemed to crack more than a young adult’s should. It must’ve been his first time striking a deal, for sure. And he was doing a great job – by the time he had finished, she was completely lost. Her eyes darted over the paper and they discussed everything from rent to pets. The latter saddened her a little, as she wished she had Waddles to bring.

It was well past three pm when everything was signed and ready to go. Willam had seemed to relax a little and Mabel was excited to see the house. From what she understood both when she was looking online and from what the blonde had told her, the house was strictly for one person to live it. Which was more than fine by her. He had thoroughly explained the strict terms and conditions of a Mindscape Inc. agreement, that she found extremely boring. Sure, if Dipper had been there, he would have yelled at her to pay attention.

“Mrs Pines?”

She shook her head and was a little surprised to see the blonde and not her brother. “I’m sorry I’m afraid my mind wandered off for a little.”

He smiled warmly. “Ah, that’s alright. I was just wondering what you were doing in Gravity Falls? Of course if that’s even my place to wonder,” he quickly added.

Mabel cocked her head. He definitely was more awkward than she had expected. “No, no, it’s quite fine.” She giggled. “I’m opening an art studio in the former Mystery Shack, if you know the place.” He nodded and she raised her eyebrows. So he was familiar with the town. Get that squared away. “I’ve heard it’s in a bit of, uh, bad shape so I need a place to stay until everything is in place and I can move in.”

William kept his head in his hand while listening to her. “I think that’s wonderful,” he concluded after maybe a minute of waiting to choose his words.

The brunette sighted. It was. It was her dream after all. “What about you Mr Cipher? Are you staying?”

The smile on his face faltered on his face for a second. “Actually, yes.” His eyes lit up and he raised a finger almost like a detective discovering a key clue in an old movie. “As a matter of fact, I’ll be dropping by to pick up the rent.”

That gave her mixed emotions of happiness and anxiety. He was interesting, Mabel concluded. And spending some more time with him and getting to know him better did sound rather appealing to her. In fact there were a lot of things she wanted to ask and a discussion with Mr William Cipher about things other than policy made her mind feel fuzzy. And he wasn’t that bad on the eye either, with dark dirty blonde hair and caramel skin and a pair of amber eyes so bright they looked yellow and his cute, sort of awkward personality – Mabel sure took a liking in him.

Soon she realized he had said something and was now watching her intently and her heart skipped a beat, realizing she must’ve been staring. The brunette cleared her throat before she grinned and sipped her last bit of coffee praying she didn’t wait too long to give a reply. “So this is not the last I’ll see of you, Mr Cipher.”

She wasn’t sure if the tone she used was one of disappointment or excitement. But when he flashed her a dashing smirk, Mabel was damn sure she wasn’t sad.

“Not at all, Mrs Pines.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also on a quick note, I do not live in America and even tough I did some research some bits and pieces might be a bit off


	3. I quite like the lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three days after the deal was made, Bill and Mabel run into each other in a surprising place and enjoy a sunset that awakens very different feelings in each.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well there it is!
> 
> so, Gideon is in this! hooray I suppose. 
> 
> the character inspiration for him if from a fanart you can find on my tumblr (@discordia-s-novelist). as for his part in the fanfic - i tried to keep as many elements from the show of mabel's relationship with him, like him asking her out, just as friends, her having mixed feelings about it and you will see more as the story advances. i know that in my context, their interactions seem a bit rushed, but that is another aspect of the cartoon i tried to explore, with rushed situations that play out in a very abrupt end.
> 
> as for bill, this chapter was very heartfelt and emotional as i tried to give more background of his past in gravity falls -which wasn't necessarily pleasant. i hope you like it and i'm sorry this took so long to post.
> 
> see more notes at the end, but until then, please enjoy!
> 
> p.s also this hasn't been beta read so i'm sorry for spelling mistakes i'm currently trying to coax some people to read this shit for me thanks bye

Three days. It hadn’t even been three days, and already Mabel couldn’t make out the floor of her house, even if she wanted to.

As it turned out, the house had been as lovely as the pictures on the website. It was a relatively small one floor hut, with white walls and big windows. The white curtains were soft to touch and the moonlight slipped through them in fragile rays. Despite its size, the open spaces and bright colours made it feel like a TARDIS – bigger on the inside. The kitchen and the main room were connected and the latter had nothing but a couch, a small bookshelf with a TV on it and a white rug – on which Mabel declared war from the first time seeing it. But since all her savings were going into repairing the Shack, the brunette had to resort to narrowing her gaze at it and whispering threats.

Ah, the Shack.

Mabel hadn’t really anticipated the state of the Mystery Shack. Stan had told her in a dead tone that it was a ‘job for Jesus to make it stand again’. And maybe, just maybe, she should’ve listened to her great uncle, for when she saw the building it sure looked less like a shack and more like a pile of wood. Sure, she hadn’t expected it to be easy, but as it had turned out, there was a lot more work to get done and the brunette was beginning to doubt she could get it done by herself.

And as much as she had insisted she could do it by herself though, Dipper had promised her to drop by on his break – whenever that was – with Pacifica to land a hand and help her out. But until then, work was to be done and the woman had no time to lose.

Well, perhaps a day or two.

Yes, there would be no harm if she waited a day or two.

And so, here she was, in her bedroom, three days later, watching the rays of the sun dance across the room, coming from the large wall-sized widows, with her easel, staring at a blank canvas – while doing a wonderful job at ignoring the mess in her house. The last piece had sold for a lot more than Mabel had expected and it was the main reason she had afforded to do this whole thing. But the girl felt like all her talent and inspiration went down the drain when her hand had elegantly signed her name in the bottom corner, and now, for the love of God, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything.

The white of the canvas seemed to be mocking her, swallowing her whole. The girl let out a frustrated growl and rested her forehead on her knees. It was useless. Completely and utterly pointless. She wasn’t going to do anything, just sitting there and contemplating life and the paintings weren’t going to brainstorm themselves and more than sure, the money for the rent wasn’t going to manifest itself in her pocket.

Looking at her watch, she grabbed her sketchbook in a hurry and pulled her hair up in a bun, shoving a pencil in it and tying one of her sweaters around her waist – _for good measure_. Pulling on her less worn out shoes, Mabel threw the door open and breathed in the fresh air of Gravity Falls.

Sitting inside wasn’t going to do, no. But where could she go? The Shack was just bound to make her more anxious. Downtown Falls was still full at this time of the day and she needed quiet. Quiet… the wood were a good idea. She made a face thinking about it; without Dipper she would just walk around blindly in that blasted forest. Sighing, the girl locked the door behind her and ventured towards her car. Grenda and Wendy had agreed to meet with her tomorrow and Soos and Melody were returning next week from a trip with Christopher. A smile ghosted on her lips when she remembered Soos’ excited tone hearing she was back in the Falls.

She slumped down in the driver’s seat and threw the sketch book on the one next to her. Staring it down it, her mind raced with every spot in and around the town when-

The lake!

Mabel’s face brightened with a smile and she turned on the car. Yes, the lake was sure to give her the inspiration she needed! She drove almost carelessly as memories she had of the water came back to her like at a signal. Of Mermando, her childhood crush, a boy she had almost been completely sure was a mermaid. Of when Stan had taken her a Dipper fishing and the twins had vouched about seeing a water monster, that had unfortunately turned out to be nothing more than an old submarine of Fiddleford’s.

As she drove through the woods on the well known road towards the water, Mabel let her mind wonder. Perhaps she just needed a new muse, to inspire her, although until she got one, the lake would have to satisfy. She relaxed in the comfortable seat as she reassured herself that all would be fine. She would manage to get the paintings done by the end of the month, yes. They would sell quickly, like they always did. Yes, she would-

Her eyes widened and she stepped on the break with all her force when she finally spotted the silhouette on the road ahead of her. Mabel let out a short scream and turned the steering wheel and the car came to a stop, merely bumping into the man ahead.

Shaking, she raised her head to look at him. One second later and…

For a moment they just started at each other. She didn’t recognize him – white, soft hair and a fairly short figure, but slim. He had blue piercing eyes and was wearing a costume of the same shade. A few freckles were tainting his face and she almost had a heart attack when he finally moved.

The stranger – who looked around her age, perhaps a bit younger – stood up. She hadn’t even noticed he had fallen until he did that.

But, while she unbuckled her seat belt and opened the door, her hands shaking like crazy, Mabel’s mind ran around, from terrifying thought to terrifying though. He was going to sue her, for certain. He was going to demand money, worse, what if he called the police. Or… or what if he killed her right now?

Stepping out of the car, her legs barely holding her up, she faced the man, and before she could even thing rationally, she reached out and took his forearms in a strong grip.

“Jesus Christ, I am so sorry! I-I almost ran you over, my dear God, I cannot begin to express my apologies! I could’ve killed you, it’s entirely my fault, I feel so stupid right now! Sir, I am so sorry I-“

“It’s alright.”

She finally met his eyes, having avoided them up until now. He took her arms off of him and she pulled back like she was facing a fire. Mabel couldn’t believe her ears. “No! It’s not alright, you could’ve died! I mean-“

The man cut her off with a wave of his hand, before breaking out in what seemed like a hysterical laughter. “No, I mean it! You sure did give me a scare there, but I’m fine!” He took a step back and raised his hands, presenting himself to prove his point.

Finally allowing herself to relax a bit, Mabel forced a smile. “S-So, you’re not going to call the police?”

This time a genuine laugh took over his features and the bright smile he gave her after truly showed he was rather handsome. He shook his head, then took a step forward and placed a hand on his heart. “And to assure you there’s no hard feelings, let me introduce myself.” He took her hand and kissed it. “I’m Giedon Gleeful.”

Mabel giggled nervously before retracting her hand a tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I suppose I’m no position to point out how overly dramatic you are, Mr Gleeful,” she said, widening his grin. “I’m Mabel Pines.”

“Well, I like to think I am!” he beamed at her. “But as uh… extra as I am, I would have much preferred to meet you in different circumstances, Mrs Pines.” He ran a hand trough his hair and sighed. He then fell quiet as Mabel anxiously rubbed her hands together. Seemingly thinking of what to say next, his face contorted as he contemplated the situation. Wetting his lips, Gideon looked up at her, pulling out a dashing smile.

“A shame we must part ways.”

Mabel suddenly felt like she was returning to earth. There was too much happening to her. “Indeed.” He, for some reason was being nice to her. And she had no idea why. She for sure knew if it had been her in his position, the brunette would have either passed out by now or called the police, Wendy, the mayor – anyone! Before she could stop herself, she blurted out: “Are you from around here, Mr Gleeful?

A sparkle lit up his eye. “Are you planning on finishing me off?”

She let out a half hearted laugh, raising her hands defensively and shaking her head, maybe too eager. He smirked before continuing. “Yes, actually, I do. I work at the Telepathy Tent – the uh, magic shop. You should drop by.”

Mable smiled and a long awkward silence stretched between them. What were you supposed to say to a guy you almost ran over? Pretending to take interest into scrubbing a stubborn stain of blue paint from your hand, she didn’t know whether she wanted to hug him for dear life for not hauling her off to jail or to open a dark hole underneath her and engulf her.

Before she could do any of that, he cleared his throat making her snap her head up to look at him. He offered another one of those smiles – what she now believed to be the trained happiness of a shopkeeper. “Well then… I suppose you owe me a drink now?” he laughed when she widened her eyes. “Just… for uh, running me over. Nothing romantic or any of that, I promise!”

She stumbled over her thoughts as he made a dramatic bow, declaring he was a gentleman. “Oh. Ah… I-I think it’s only fair…” she sighted, suddenly realizing how exhausted this whole thing had made her. “Okay, I suppose we could get coffee. Would this weekend be alright?”

Giedon Gleeful grinned. “Yeah. I’ll see you this weekend.”

He moved past her, giving Mabel a snippet of his cologne which she came to decide was way too much. She quickly got in the car, and even though she paid attention to every single bush that she drove by, for her the rest of the ride was just a blur.

Oh, God help her, how she needed the peace of the lake now.

________________________________________

 

Three days. It hadn’t even been three full days yet and his father had called him over seven times to make sure everything had gone according to plan. Since it was the first time they were renting those – fairly new – cabins, this anxiety displayed so openly by the CEO was only natural.

Of course, for Bill this excessive worry was anything but comforting. And with his old man constantly calling him, getting Mabel Pines off his mind was becoming a chore. If it hadn’t been for his father, that lovely woman wouldn’t have been a problem. He smiled. Yes. It was his father’s fault.

But now he found himself aimlessly walking through the town. After settling in his family’s old house – which he found only brought memories – Bill had done his best to avoid it. He would wake up, get dressed, get food and get the hell out of there. On his first night, the blond couldn’t bring himself to sleep on his bed, for ghostly images of himself curled up into a ball, by his nightstand, away from the door, crying his eyes out after his parents had yelled at him for reasons he couldn’t even recall.

So he slept on the couch.

The second night had been a little easier. Having already decided to spend his nights on the sofa, which was comfortable anyway, Bill found that dealing with certain memory triggers was a lot easier after cleaning his parent’s room. Sure, he refused to acknowledge the time spent in that room crying, but after getting all their old stuff out and to the trash, he felt like a weight had been lifted of his shoulders.

But as time went by, sitting on the armchair next to his makeshift bed, reading, the man began to feel as if the walls were closing up on him.

The house itself felt like a cage – a wooden villa, with one floor but three bedrooms, the living room with an incorporated library that his father wouldn’t let him touch, a modern kitchen, despite the vintage theme of the rest of the buildings. The two bathrooms, one main and one private for the matrimonial bedroom, were both luxurious and perfectly clean, despite them being neglected for the past years.

The first time he had brought up how the house gave him chills, his mother had given him that cold glare and told him to ‘leave the house and not come back until he learned how lucky he was he was even allowed inside’. Of course, Bill hadn’t done any of that.

The corners of his mouth went up as he walked by the mayor’s office. He remembered the plan he had devised after that day – every night he would open up the windows of his bedroom and sneak out. He would spend the nights roaming the lands of the Falls, and, without his parents being there to stain his memories of those times, the nights there became some of his favourite memories. He recalled seeing some children and strongly believed them to be gremlins. And-

And, oh, the lake! The lake was one of his dearest sights at night. How the moon reflected into the calm, crystalline waters, how the breeze felt caressing his warm face. The cold, clean air, the wonderful scent of the forest combined and the music made by the frogs and owls.

Truly a dream.

Looking at the sky, Bill decided that if he started walking now towards what could be his most treasured place in Gravity Falls, he could catch the sunset.

And off he was.

The buildings went by him in a blur and soon he was walking through the forest. The smell of leaves and flowers that used to drive him out of his mind couldn’t break the trance he was in, thinking of maybe even getting a tent and spending a night there, and be sung to sleep by the peaceful clinging of the water.

A chill sent shivers down his back and he was suddenly painfully aware by his clothing. Having only throw on a black t-shirt and a loose pair of yellow sweatpants, Bill began to regret his ignorance of the weather.

Another unwanted memory crawled its way into his mind and he sighed his defeat as he embraced it. It was one of the few walks he had with his parents trough the town. They were once again going to the Northwest mansion, for a dinner. He recalled the chilly day and the rolled up sleeves of his sun coloured shirt. Young Bill had been trembling by the time they hadn’t even reached the alley way of the property. He remembered pulling his mother’s sleeve and complaining. She had just shaken him off and told him it was his fault he hadn’t thought about getting dressed properly.

Bill had repressed his tears then and he found himself repressing them now. Every day that went by, the blonde grew to see all that was wrong with his parents. And the more he discovered, the more he wondered how he was still sane.

The closer he came to the lake, the harder all these feelings seemed to deal with. Nights of crying with the water had turned the place into a weak spot for him – that was for certain. Perhaps his negligence had been exactly this – allowing himself to grow attached to place. It was never a smart move, but the blonde couldn’t do anything about it. He needed that. He desperately needed, wanted, to cling so something. Like his heart wasn’t ready to give up on Gravity Falls yet.

And maybe, just maybe, he could allow himself to cry again on the shore.

A sad smile made its way on his face. Yes, the lake was his place. No one was there outside fishing season. Ever. It was his place.

His.

Nearing the so called parking lot of the docks, a low humming met his ears. He stopped in his tracks and the knot in his throat, that urge to let the tears fall, tightened. He frowned in frustration. No one, absolutely no one, was ever there. Not when he was young and he highly doubted that any of the townsfolk he knew had magically formed a habit of visiting the town in the off season. But yet, the humming wasn’t his and he really didn’t think the rocks would hum.

Before he spotted her.

She was sitting comfortably in the grass, wearing some worn out jeans and a tank top so thin he was sure she was already frozen. The brunette was furiously sketching something into a notebook, and despite her quick movements, her hand moved gracefully across the papers, her pencil leaving traces he found himself wanting to follow.

Mabel Pines didn’t seem to notice him, and kept up her singing. Her voice was so calming, soft like silk and precious like gold and Bill felt that if he moved too fast, it would shatter like porcelain.

Against his better judgment, his feet began carrying him towards her.

Before the blonde could reach the young woman, her hand stilled and she stopped humming, to his disappointment. She narrowed her eyes, probably to make out who he was. A wave of emotions washed over her face before she schooled her features. Putting the pencil into a bun atop her head, she began standing up. Bill rushed towards her and waved his hands zealously at her, feeling a tinge of guilt pulling at his heart for disturbing her.

“No, no, no, please, no need to stand up on my behalf, Mrs Pines,” he quickly assured her and she sat back down, further away, before encouraging him to sit next to her. The idea of seeing him again didn’t seem to repulse her and he felt like that was a victory in itself.

“To be honest, Mr Cipher, I didn’t expect to see you here,” she smiled and fiddled with the page she was drawing on.

Now that he got a closer look at her sketch, he found he couldn’t look away. It was a drawing of the sea, with a few rocks in it, and a sunset. The elegant curves of the sun and water seemed to perfectly complement the sharp edges of the rocks and he wondered if she would ever give it the colour it deserved.

“Ah I… quite like the lake.”

She looked down with a longing simper. “I do too.”

They fell into a comfortable silence as he directed his attention to the sun that was beginning to lower itself behind the land in the distance. Her steady breath seemed to be lulling him to sleep and he heard her shifting, pulling the pencil out again and continuing her sketch. The rays of the sun seemed to be nothing compared to the heat coming from her and he found himself smiling, compared to the sadness filling his heart.

“If it’s my place to ask…” she began, raising her head to look at his profile, “what is it about the lake you like?”

He turned to see her eyes filled with uncertainty. And Bill couldn’t blame her. They were still strangers, but he wanted to get to know her, despite all of his negating, he had been thinking about her.

“I… it’s a comfortable place for me,” he said, crossing his legs. He moved his gaze back to the sunset when he saw the unsettled look leave her features. “Especially in the offseason. It’s quiet.”

Nodding she turned her eyes towards the sun too. “I like the quiet too. I, uh, used to spend a lot of time here. As a child.”

Sleepless nights, filled with tears, took over his mind and he felt a tear come to life in the corner of his eye.

“Me too.”

Another silence fell over the two as the sun continued to go down and Mabel finished off her drawing, putting the pencil back after elegantly signing her name in the corner of the paper.

Then they both watched the sunset.

And they stayed quiet as the minutes dripped. Bill felt like he was falling down a rabbit hole as the feelings he knew would come with the lake began pouring over him like a bucket of cold water. Cold gazes piercing through his back, harsh palms across his cheek.

And before he could stop them, the tears started pouring.

He didn’t know how long he cried for. He only acknowledged the sun finally going down, Mabel turning towards him, beaming, only for that expression to be whipped off her face upon seeing him. He only nodded when she offered her embrace and he sobbed, feeling pathetic, in the arms of an overly polite stranger. Surely she had better things to do than comfort him. Surely she had a loving family, boyfriend, waiting for her.

And with all those thoughts in mind, he kept weeping. All the things he had cried over on this very shore, in the dead of the night, comforted only be the warmth of his blanket. And now, almost a decade later he was crying again. Because he had allowed himself to have a weak spot. He was weak. Lame. A disappointment.

And strangely, he felt all those words were spoken in his father’s voice.

“I-I’m so sorry, t-to put y-you in a position like this, M-Mrs Pines,” he said, nuzzling his face in her arms as she held him, gently caressing his hair like his mother never had. Like she never would.

“Shh, it’s okay,” she whispered, and her voice seemed to be louder than that blasted voice in his head. “It’ll be okay.” When he finally began to pull back, he saw her shoulders were no longer as tense as she they had been. Worry and maybe a bit of pity had filled her eyes and her tank top was almost drenched in his tears. Guilt filled his heart and his exhausted mind was hit by the situation.

She didn’t look disgusted – but who the hell knew? People were good at hiding their feelings.

And before he gave his decision any more rational thought, he opened his mouth. “I just want to give you my sincerest apologies, Mrs Pines, I couldn’t… I just… I promise this will not uh, my god, I’m just so sorry, if you never want to see me again I’ll understand, I’m just-“

“Please, Mr Cipher, it’s really okay.”

He stopped, looking baffled at her. No, she was surely just being polite. Bill opened his mouth to protest, but she quickly cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“You don’t have to tell me anything, if you do not want to. But please, call me Mabel.”

She gave him a wry smile and Bill blinked at few times.

The sun had set already and the moon was shining over them, and its cold rays were highlighting her features beautifully. She was stunning, the blonde’s tired mind decided. She didn’t seem to be shivering, despite the wind. The sky was beginning to darken and only then did he think that perhaps she had other plans.

“Alright, Mrs- Mabel. Alright, Mabel.”

She nodded and looked at the sky. Her bun had gotten ruined and it was now falling apart, but in Bill’s eyes she was still a vision.

And then, only then, he wondered. Did he… have a crush?

“Ah, uh, I suppose you have plans, Mr Cipher, and it’s getting quite late. If you wish to not speak of this, then I fully understand,” she mumbled, apologetically, getting to her feet. He followed soon after and they looked at each other, falling to a silent agreement.

Mabel gave another one of those grins that made his heart flutter and hugged her sketchbook close to her chest, before waving at him and turning on her heels.

After a few seconds, Bill called after her.

“Mabel. Please… call me Willia- Bill. Call me Bill.”

She nodded, but the blonde couldn’t make out her face in the darkness. When she began advancing towards the parking lot, he fell back on the grass and took a deep breath. He felt so empty, but in a comfortable way. All the pent up emotion was gone, and now all he had were feelings, most of which he had just unravelled. And the cold air of the night to caress him, which almost made the man shiver, when he thought of the warm, gentle hands that had held him almost seconds ago.

He couldn’t possible have a crush now, could he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i say it again, i am so sorry this took so long to post. i only made it to the computer this monday and I don't really get a lot of time during the week, as i have a very important exam this year and that leaves me with maybe an hour, two if i'm lucky to write, so i get more time during the weekends and fridays.
> 
> i also apologize if mabel's interaction with bill in this one also seemed rushed, but as I explained in the beginning notes, i'm trying to give it a more cartoony feel, less realistic kind of comedy show feel where things go up and down very fast.
> 
> anyways, thanks for reading and i hope to get the next chapter out by the next week!


	4. New Purposes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill deals with the aftermath of his mental breakdown, while Mabel goes on her date with Gideon Gleeful and finds a few more things to add to her already worry filled mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry!
> 
> Updating this chapter took forever, and I only spent three days writing it, because i've had N O T I M E whatsoever. So sorry for that one. This one's a bit of a heavily Mabel focused one and I promise it won't stay like that. I continued writing Gideon and Mabel's relationship like it's portrayed in the show, so that's that.
> 
> I also wanted to mention that, yes, I re-read the first chapters and it just hit me how shit some parts are and I apologize for that, but I won't be able to do anything about it until winter break, since I'm about to smash my head t a brick wall from all the things I have to do. This year's a particularly hard one due to exams I have coming up in December and June, 2019, but there's time till that. 
> 
> I know a great time to start writing a fic.

Almost a week had passed since their weird bonding moment, and Bill found that, once again, he couldn't get a certain brunette out of his head. He needed to apologise for his behaviour, he was well aware of that - for Christ's sake, he had acted like a sad toddler. Therefore, that particular evening wasn’t one of his favourites in the time he had been here.

She probably didn't want to see him. No, she most certainly didn't want to see him. He couldn't blame her. Bill had put her in a terribly awkward position. Luckily for him, she was a genuinely nice person. And as much as he hated himself for thinking it, he couldn't get the feeling of her comforting hands around him out of his stubborn mind, that seemed to be set to believe she gave the slightest damn about him. No one had ever held him like that while he cried. Ever.

But she had done it out of politeness, the rational side of his mind argued. She was just being polite. She didn't care - no one ever did. The young woman had just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. And then, maybe out of manners, she didn't push him off. Scrunching his nose, the hard reality that maybe, if the roles were reversed, he wouldn’t have been so quick to hug her and allow a stranger to ruin his shirt, hit him.

Also, a horrible thought was nagging him: what if she decided to abandon the deal and move out? His father would be furious. A shiver went down his spine and his fingers ghosted over one of his cheeks - one that knew his dad's harsh palms best. He wasn't going to fuck this up because of one misplaced mental breakdown. He simply could not afford that.

This storm brewed in his brain as he paced around his study. Perhaps he was overreacting. He wasn't… was he?

He stopped his pointless pacing and let out a long groan, feeling the headache brewing. This had to be dealt with. He had to swallow his pride and apologise. And if she was half as nice as he made her out to be, then she would willing to put this crap in the past.

Bill fell on one of the large armchairs near his desk and rested his forehead in his hand, rubbing his temples. He needed to get stuff in order in his head, and do it fast. Now that the emotional baggage that came with his return to Gravity Falls had been dealt with - by bawling his eyes out on the shoulder of his client - he needed to get his priorities straight. After all, he hadn’t spent almost a month writing a list for this just to let it go to waste.

He had a lot of people he had to meet from his past.

That had been one of his main purposes. He needed to meet all the townsfolk his parents had pushed him away from, but most of all he wanted to have a chat with one of his role models. The thought of finally meeting the famous Fiddleford McGucket, who used to be a brilliant young man, then he grew old and went insane, but made a comeback that surprised everyone, returning to the bright scientist he once was from a very concerning mental state. And now, Bill wanted nothing more than to meet him.

Amongst the people he wanted to meet, there were those he needed to meet. Despite his protests, his father had arranged him to meet Tad Strange, the mayor, and the representative of the Northwest Property. Also, his mother wanted him to have a chat with the Sheriff to ensure security around the Mindscape Inc. cabins.

He felt tired just thinking about all the chores his parents had thrown on him the second he had confirmed his departure – like it was ever even a question, whether he would go or not. But he wasn’t about to begin his long list of activities with one he didn’t wish to do. So his long string of meetings would begin with a trip he wanted to make.

To a particular magic shop.  
________________________________________

Mabel looked in the mirror at herself one last time before taking a deep breath and picking up her purse and jacket. She had chosen a white shirt and cream pencil skirt, with some white heels - that she felt stupidly tall with - and had tied her hair in a bun, choosing a leather jacket in case she stayed late. She had went with minimal make up, only to define her features and a pink lipstick, that made her feel like she had dipped her mouth in a basket of raspberries, and munched on the like Waddles used to do.

God how she hoped she wasn't overdressed.

But Gideon had praised the place so much that by the end of the week, Mabel wouldn’t be very surprised if he took her to Paris.

It had been nearly a week since she had comforted her landlord and almost hit with a car the guy she was going out with. As the weekend approached, she had gotten a text from Gideon and after getting over the initial confusion of how the Hell he had gotten her number, they arranged their date. Although Mabel didn't feel that spark, that potential between her and the young man, she decided to give it a try. She had nothing to lose, and maybe he could help her relive some of the pent up stress gathered over the week.

Yes, a relaxing night out was what she needed.

But as she had made him out to be initially, he truly was dramatic. And persuasive, and soon, Mabel found herself agreeing to a friendly dinner instead of a quick coffee run.

As it also turned out, fixing the Shack required a lot of people - assistance she could never afford - so she had assembled a team, that consisted of her, Wendy, Grenda, Soos and five other men and women that lived on the ex Northwest land. They had been very eager to help them.

Getting the materials had been the easy part, she figured, only placing the orders and carefully watching the transactions go through. She remembered the anxiety she had felt, adding up the values on the contracts and checking the sums multiple times and almost breaking down crying whenever the numbers didn't match.

In the end, however she had gotten away without being scammed, dead or a part of the Russian mafia.

And now the actual repairs could begin. With the resources they had, getting down the first floor of the Shack would be no problem; and thanks to unwanted but greatly appreciated help from Dipper, who had announced his arrival next week, she could afford the first paycheck for the workers.

As she left the house and locked the door behind her, Mabel thought about the basement of the house. There was nothing to do there - it had been completely destroyed and the only way to get the chambers back would be to dig up her own basement, and that idea wasn't really… enchanting. She got in the car and sighted. It had taken a lot of convincing Gideon that she didn't need a ride. She had never been a fan of being given rides since Wendy had taken her on a very interesting and exciting outing on a summer around LA. A smile glowed on her pink lips when she thought about her friend.

Wendy had barged in her apartment two days ago. The redhead had been so happy to see Mabel ‘all grown up and kicking it on her own’. They had spent the entire day catching up on the couch, eating takeout. It wasn’t the fancy meet up most people would imagine but it was entertaining and they had already arranged to see each other again.

Pulling the car out of the driveway, Mabel realised how much she hated the fact that seeing Wendy had become so much harder. With the redhead running the family business and her being busy fixing the Mystery Shack or painting all day, fixing that one date had been a real headache.

Grenda had been happy to see her too. Happy was not exactly the word – thrilled was a pretty accurate description of the incredibly loud screech the girls had made upon seeing each other. If it was anyone’s guess, the twenty in their age had been added by mistake. They had spent the day together talking, laughing and recalling funny memories, like their obsession for what used to be their favourite band – Sev’ral Timez – and the stupidly hot lead singer.

The other girl had given Mabel some incredibly exciting news. Apparently, the trio was going to be back on the streets of Gravity Falls, because Candy had announced she and her wife would be coming here on vacation. Mabel was beyond excited to meet Candy’s wife and see the Korean girl after so long!

A long sigh escaped her lips and her mouth curved into a smile. Everything was going so good, Mabel was beginning to think why she hadn’t done this sooner. She turned on the headlights as the sun began setting and she arrived at the place.

The restaurant was... new. She definitely didn’t remember this from her childhood.

It was a large modern building, with a doorman and a red carpet that led from the street up to the large double doors. The warm light coming trough the windows washed over the brunette as she made her way down to the entrance. She couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated, after seeing all the fancy cars in the parking lot.

Swallowing the knot in her throat, she nodded at the guardian, who pulled the glass door open for her. The smell of the perfume hit her almost the moment she set foot inside. The entire building radiated elegance and class and Mable felt her knees giving out.

Before she could embarrass herself, however, she spotted the white, luscious hair of Gideon. He had his back turned to her, sitting in a private booth, towards the end of the restaurant.

The woman made her way to him, a smile ghosting on her lips. She couldn’t exactly deem herself... excited for this date. As much as she had tried to hype up for tonight, she always found herself getting annoyed, but she couldn’t quite place a finger on why this was. She blew a rouge strand of hair that had fallen from her bun and walked in his field of view.

His blue eyes lit up at the sight of her. Gideon was on his feet in a second and Mabel noticed that, despite her hate for high heels, they were good at making men feel small.

Gideon visibly swallowed, and although he tried to school his features, he still looked surprised as he raised his eyes a little to gaze into hers. His hand reached hers and he pulled it up, brushing his lips over her knuckles in a way that made her a little uncomfortable.

“I must say, Mrs Pines, you look breath taking,” he spoke in a way that sounded more like a mouse squeaking. He cleared his throat and released her hand.

She gave a sweet smile and moved to sit on the opposite side of him. “Why thank you.”

He sat down too, barely able to remove his eyes from her face.

At least he wasn’t staring somewhere else.

That was enough class for this date to go decently, Mabel decided.

A waiter came up to their table and after they ordered their drinks, Gideon picking an expensive wine and Mabel settling for some water since she had to drive, the man rushed off.

Finally, Mabel had some time to take the man’s appearance in. His hair was slicked back, except for some strays that fell over his forhead. He was wearing a blue suit, similar to the one he had worn when she had almost ran him over. He looked more relaxed and she noticed an interesting necklace around his neck. Only now was she noticing details about his appearance, such as the three most visible freckles on each cheek.

“How have you been?”

She gaped at him like a dead fish before registering the fact that he had asked her a question. He gathered herself together and straightened in her chair, noticing she must have been leaning forward.

“Good.”

 _Nice one, Mabel._

The man nodded and Mabel continued. “I’ve had a bit of a busy week,” she explained. “How about you?”

“It’s been pretty uneventful,” he admitted, gesturing vividly with a hand. “Running a Magic Shop in 2018 is pretty uneventful in itself, especially in this God forgotten town.”

“Oh? I thought there were a lot of tourists.”

Gideon made a face that reminded her a lot of an angry baby. “There used to, but with the Shack gone, most people have been avoiding the Falls, declaring ‘there isn’t anything mysterious enough’!”

Mabel hid her giggle behind her hand at his attempt of mimicking what must’ve been an old lady.

“I’m sure business is not that bad,” she commented with a tired flick of her wrist. “I mean, this restaurant is new, the museum is getting renovated in a couple of months – and the scenery!” A grin curled her lips. “It’s... exquisite!”

He frowned a little. “I suppose it is. Never quite considered it. You must have an eye for this,” he mumbled, looking up at her.

“I like to think my art degree wasn’t a waste of time.”

Gideon let out a laugh that sounded more like someone had punched him in the gut and Mabel grimaced.

“Oh!” she snapped her fingers getting his attention. “And Weirdmageddon is at the end of the summer! That will for sure bring tourists, won’t it?”

She knew this because her entire launch of the art studio was based around the four day festival in early September. Her entire collection, _Fall In The Falls_ – a series of oil paintings set in late autumn and with sights from around the town, was based around the carnival specific to Gravity Falls. Mabel knew that was the perfect occasion to make a name for herself, since the place would be crawling with people.

“They still hold Weirdmageddon, don’t they?”

Her hopes began crumbling as his silence stretched on and she found herself clutching the table cloth.

No, no, no, no, _no_! This couldn’t be.

She needed it. She desperately _needed_ it.

He grimaced, then cleared his throat. “I mean, the issue is on the table. Mayor Strange hasn’t specifically approved it or disapproved it.” Her smile began to crumble but he quickly reassured her. “But I’m sure if you bring it up to him and offer to fund some of it, the festival will still take place.”

Mabel let out a shaky breath. This wasn’t that bad, she tried to soothe herself. Money. It was always about money.

A job.

She would need to find a job and make sure Weirdmageddon took place. Seemed easy enough.

But could she really add that on her plate?

As their drinks were brought and they placed the order for food, they fell into light and friendly conversation and Mabel’s mind pushed away the festival problem for the night. She could worry about that another day. Gideon told her more about the shop, about his family, Mabel talked about her move and the news of the Shack back up and running brought a genuine smile on Gideon’s puffy lips. He was funny, and soon Mabel learned he was two years younger than her.

As they finished the steak and waited for the waiter to come clean up, the brunette looked at the clock and almost gasped. It was well past midnight. How had she lost track of time so easily!? It surely couldn’t have been later than seven when she had arrived.

“Are you alright?”

She moved her gaze to him and offered a bit of an easy smile. “Yes, I just thought I should be heading home.”

Obvious disappointment flashed over his face and his mouth formed a small ‘oh’. “Can’t offer you some desert?”

She let out a short laugh and shook her head. “I’m sorry, I really think I should go.”

He nodded and paid for the dinner when the waiter returned with the bill. “Then can I walk you to your car?”

The smile returned to her lips and they stood, heading for the exit.

The cool air of the night sent shivers down her spine and she suddenly realised she had left her jacked in the car. Silently cursing herself, she fell into step with Gideon and they walked quietly but the large windows of the restaurant. Her arms wrapped around herself and she puffed.

The man turned to her and was quick to take of his jacket. “Please-“

Before she could even argue, the blue piece of clothing was thrown around her shoulders and she couldn’t deny the warmth. She smiled and mumbled a quiet thank you.

When they reached the parking lot, finding her small Toyota proved easy among the rest of the luxury cars.

Turning to him, Mabel dug her fist into her palm. “Thanks Gideon, I uh, I had fun tonight.”

He nodded and rubbed the back of his head. “I did too.”

They fell into an uneasy silence and Mabel swallowed loudly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. She didn’t know if he wanted to say anything else.

If she were to be honest, Mabel had enjoyed the time spent together. Gideon was great company – he was funny and a great story teller and he had very interesting opinions on different things. He was open minded and genuine and wasn’t afraid to disagree with her. But... that was about it. As much as she had tried, she couldn’t think of him as more and didn’t see this going anywhere.

It’s not that he was bad looking. And he respected her boundaries.

But the one time when Mabel could afford to fall for someone, she couldn’t.

It always had to be the impossible for Mabel Pines.

She shook her head with a frustrated sigh – frustrated at herself – and took in a deep breath, enjoying the cold air of the night. The brunette was about to turn to the car and she opened her mouth to wish him goodnight, when he suddenly reached for her hands and pressed his lips against hers.

Mabel immediately stopped. Her eyes widened and her breathing was cut off by the puffy lips.

It didn’t make her heart flutter. It didn’t make her wish to close her eyes and melt into the kiss. It didn’t make her knees wobbly and didn’t make her wish to jump in his arms. It didn’t awake any warmth in her stomach and it didn’t make her thoughts fuzzy. She didn’t enjoy it the feeling of his mouth pressed to hers.

She didn’t want to be kissed.

He didn’t seem to take her response. Mabel frowned and pushed him away gently and only then did he open his eyes and backed away from her. He was flustered.

“I’m-“

She raised her hand dismissively, suddenly feeling tired. “I apologise if I gave you the wrong idea, Mr Gleeful,” she spoke in a harsh tone. This definitely wasn’t her voice. She was never mean. But she continued, softening her tone and levelling her voice, speaking in a calm manner. “I had fun tonight, indeed, but I don’t see this – us – going anywhere.”

Gideon opened his mouth to argue, probably, but now the words were pouring and she couldn’t stop them.

“Please don’t get me wrong, I think you’re great company,” she explained gesturing vividly and pointlessly around. “And despite me agreeing to come to dinner with you, instead of coffee, doesn’t change the fact that I agreed to a friendly encounter.”

She pursed his lips and prepared herself for the worst. She knew some men didn’t take breakups or rejections easily and she’d definitely had some... frightening ends to dates. But despite that, Gideon gave a pained smile and looked down, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I uh-“ he let out a shaky breath and raised his head to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry, the kiss was uh... rash. I didn’t consider your feelings.”

She blinked and gaped at him. That was definitely the best she’d ever seen someone take rejection. Mabel was quick to shut her mouth and almost shoved her purse down her throat when he spoke his next words.

“Will you come with me to the firework show next week? Just to show there’s no hard feelings. I mean, just as friends. I promise. Nothing romantic. It’s okay if you don’t,” he was quick to assure.

The desperation in his eyes and voice should’ve sent her running the other way.

Every bit of her mind and consciousness was yelling at her to say no. She had just rejected him. But he looked sad. So despite herself, despite knowing she would fully regret the next words, despite the situation, the little frown on her face was eased into a small smile.

“O-Okay.”

He lit up and almost squeaked. His string of thank you’s and goodnights was drown out by her throwing his jacket at him and quickly climbing in her car, doing a quick, pathetic wave with her finger and driving away, while her mind was still stuck in the parking lot, thinking her agreement.

_Oh, great fucking job, Mabel. Go be the nice one all the time._

 

The drive back home went by in a flash and after she turned off the headlights and pulled in the driveway of her cabin, she slammed her head to the steering wheel with a long groan. The clock read half past one in the morning and all she wanted to do was fall in her bad and pass out.

And hopefully never wake up again.

She pulled the keys out of the contact and pulled her jacket on. Her hand hovered and hesitated as she went to open the door but stopped for a second and before even having time to consider it more, she pulled off her heels and sighted, wiggling her toes.

With a warm smile she opened the door and jumped out of the car, the cold air caressing her tired features and relaxing her muscles. The grass was massaging her feet as she walked around the house and pulled her hair out of her bun, now cascading down her back. She couldn’t wait to rub the makeup off and get out of that skirt and take off her bra and take a long shower and-

She stopped in her tracks as she rounded the corner and her breath caught in her throat.

A blonde man – a particular blond man – was drifting peacefully on her porch. He was wearing some black office pants and shoes with a black shirt and a yellow coat. His hair was messed up, probably from rubbing it on her door.

She couldn’t help the grin that stretched on her lips. He looked so much more relaxed than she had last seen him – but then he had cried on her shoulder. As much as Mabel loved lying to herself, she couldn’t get him out of her head. She had avoided going to the lake the next few days. But their meet up was inevitable and he sure knew how to make an entrance.

The brunette made a last try to fix her hair up a little and whipped her lipstick off. Quickly buttoning up her shirt, she let out a long shaky breath, her heart going a thousand miles per hour.

When had she gotten so nervous?

She walked up to him and loudly knocked on the door, startling him awake. He looked around confused, probably wondering where the hell he was and the brunette couldn’t blame him. As recognition dripped into his face, his gaze fell on her, who was now sitting with her arms crossed, holding her heels in one hand and her purse in the other, silently praying her hair didn’t look as shit as she imagined it did.

He shook his head quickly and ran a hand trough his hair as he hurried to his feet. “Mrs Pines-“

“Mabel.”

“I’m so sorry.”

She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the laughter bubbling in her throat and the smile trying to make its way on her face. He was just so apologetic all the time and overly polite, and he was just so cute.

Mabel frowned upon that thought and he probably took her frown in the wrong way. As he started talking again and he moved his hands around, gazing anywhere but at her.

“I wanted to come and un, a-apologise for my... unprofessional behaviour e-earlier this week,“ he stumbled over his words, a blush creeping across his cheeks. “B-but you weren’t home and I just decided to wait for an hour or so, and I, uh, must’ve fallen asleep. I promise I’m n-not a, uh, stalker or something and I definitely didn’t intend on spending the entire night here,” he added with a nervous little laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m just so, sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

He ended his monologue with a long, resigned sigh and looked up at her to find her smiling broadly. His eyes widened for a bit upon seeing her and she could no longer help the little chuckle that bubbled in her throat.

Two men surprised her in one night. Maybe Gravity Falls was indeed magical.

She cleared her throat, realising she must’ve come off as rude. “Look, Mr Cipher-”

“Bill.”

“Bill,” she deadpanned. “For the... lake incident. There’s no reason to apologise, I promise. It’s not my place to judge you – who knows, all people deal with shit,” she explained, trying to read his tense face. “But I didn’t mind. And I think it’s very sweet you came to apologise. And also, uh, w-waited.”

Flushed. Why was she getting flushed. Why were her legs suddenly shaking?

Bill’s featured relaxed and his mouth broke into a resigned smile that made her heart flutter in her chest. “So is this okay?” he asked with a shaky breath, gesturing between them.

She swallowed the knot in her throat. Was that his cologne? It smelled great.

Nodding Mabel shoved her hands in her pockets. “Of course. Just tell me in advance when you need a shoulder to cry on, maybe I’ll bring you a pillow.”

He gawked at her for a second with his mouth agape, and Mabel began to worry she had said the wrong thing, before he broke into a full hearted laugh and her mind instantly loved the sound. Bill caught his breath and checked his watch. “But I should leave you now, Mabel,” he said with something in his voice that sounded like disappointment. “It’s late and I don’t want to be any more of a hassle. You must be tired.”

Damn straight she was.

“Still, I’ll see in un... two weeks. For the rent.”

“What wonderful circumstances,” she joked and another smile made its way across his lips.

He looked down and coughed before catching her eyes again. “Goodnight, Mabel,” he almost whispered and began walking past her.

“Goodnight, Bill.”

The second he rounded the corner, Mabel pushed open the door of her house and slammed it behind her, pressing her back against it.

Her hand flew to her heart and she let out a long shaky breath as her pulse finally began slowing down its pace and her knees finally gave out. Sliding down against the door and straightening her legs, Mabel blinked a few times. She wanted to blame all her current feelings on how tired she was, and although that was also a valid reason, it had all began when she saw him and all these things were caused by something she could not quite place a finger on yet.

Lazily, almost not noticing she was even doing it, Mabel stood up and threw her heels in the general direction of where she kept her shoes. Removing her jacket and dropping it to the floor, she sucked in a breath and began advancing towards the bathroom, stripping her shirt, skirt and bra along the way.

Mabel stopped in front of the sink and gripped its sides, raising her head slowly to look in the mirror, her make up slightly smudged, her hair guarding her face. Hell, she would’ve avoided herself if she saw that face on the street.

She desperately tried to get her tired mind to organise her thoughts before pieces began falling into place and she was able to form coherent sentences in her head. And the things that flew to her sleep deprived consciousness weren’t exactly what she had hoped to find. She needed some fucking answers not more stupid emotion related questions.

The young woman blinked her revelation a few times before even daring to look the thought in the eyes.

She couldn’t possible have a crush now, could she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait, once again, and for all the spelling and grammar mistakes. Also ,behold Dipcifica shippers, the next one will have the two coming into scene and some very sweet Wendy and Mabel moments, such as Candy's return, but I might leave that for the sixth chapter.
> 
> Find me on tumblr @discordia-s-novelist for updates!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Fell free to drop by in roughly a week for new updates!


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